UNDATED (AP) _ Millions of Americans have settled into a new tradition: gobble up turkey and then go shopping. Just a few years ago when a few stores started opened late on the holiday, the move was met with resistance from workers and shoppers who believed the day should be sacred. Last year, more than a dozen major retailers opened at some point on Thanksgiving evening. And this year, at least half of them _ including Target, Macy’s, Staples and J.C. Penney _ opened earlier in the evening on the holiday. The Thanksgiving openings are one way retailers are trying to compete for Americans’ holiday dollars. It used to be that the day after Thanksgiving _ known as Black Friday _ was when they’d focus their sales promotions. But increasingly, they’ve been pushing those promotions earlier and earlier _ and eventually into the holiday itself. Bill Martin, co-founder of ShopperTrak, which tracks data at 70,000 stores globally, is expecting a sales increase of 3 percent to 5 percent to $2.57 billion to $2.62 billion on Thanksgiving.
